June 18 update: Pantsless BC Lions fan spent night in VPD jail cell, fined $115
BC Lions defensive back Marcell Young delivered a big hit at the Lions' CFL home opener Saturday—but it wasn't against an opposing player.
Young levelled a pantsless fan with a quick shoulder hit, sending the man clad in nothing but a Lions jersey and boxer briefs to the ground. The streaker had made his way onto the field during a pause in play during the second quarter.
The official broadcast feed didn’t capture the incident, but Jaden Severy recorded it on his cellphone.
"The first reaction was everyone thought it was funny he got hit by a player," he said. "But then people were like is he allowed to do that?"
After videos of the hit circulated on social media, some are raising concerns about how Young dealt with the rogue spectator. While the venue says the fan was in the wrong, some think the player was too.
“He's not that big of a guy, the guy that got hit,” Severy said.
He also wondered if Young could have been hurt if the fan had a weapon concealed under his shirt.
Sports broadcaster Rob Fai also tweeted that he couldn't condone a professional football player hitting a fan.
BCLIONS: As cool as many think it was for player to smoke trespassing fan at game - I still can’t condone that hit. The fan is completely in the wrong, but say Young’s “hit” causes paralysis or something long term, it’s just not worth it for players to take those measures. pic.twitter.com/yDegEMvsGJ
— Rob Fai (@RobFaiNation) June 17, 2018
The sheer impact of the hit and the man's reaction were captured clearly in photos from the incident. After the hit, security escorted him away.
One fan wrote that Young should have left the streaker for security. But witnesses at the game say security personnel weren’t anywhere near him.
Severy said that when the brazen fan first got on the field he ran around trying to hype up the crowd. He saw security guards coming for him, but said they were walking.
"The fact that security took their time is a bit concerning for player safety, too," he said.
But a spokesperson for BC Place said security staff acted exactly as they're supposed to.
"If they don't have an imminent threat, say, something in their hand, the protocol is not to chase them and risk further injury to themselves or other people," said Laura Ballance.
The bold, if reckless, spectator has been banned from BC Place for a year and issued a citation for trespassing. Officials say he cut his foot while jumping onto the field, but they aren't sure if the big hit caused any other injuries.
The Lions player is facing fewer consequences. The team says no disciplinary action will be taken against Young at this time.
Two other Lions players congratulated him following the hit with a chest bump and a high five. He's a seven-year CFL veteran who signed with the Lions this off-season.
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Breanna Karstens-Smith and files from the Canadian Press